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Shawn Mendes’ Journey Gets Animated

Leave it up to the fans of an artist to create something so unique, so heartfelt, no marketing team at a record label could have done this.

Created by two girls, Maria and Alexis, this short animated film shows the rise of Shawn Mendes, the committed, deeply personal and really quite amazing artist. I’ve had the pleasure to meet Shawn on the We Day tour, and he’s as passionate about music, family and his fans as any other I’ve seen.

Shawn is up for the Breakthrough Artist of the Year at this year’s JUNO Awards, and is my bet to win. With the backing of such cool fans, how can he not?

It’s “A”-fficial! Family Channel’s Hit Series The Next Step Returns for its Third Season on March 16

– As the cast of The Next Step prepares to take the stage for the first stop of its sold out national tour, Family Channel is pleased to announce the fan-favourite Canadian original series and recipient of multiple Canadian Screen Award nominations will return for its third season on Monday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT. Leaping back on to the small screen with a special one-hour premiere episode, the compelling dance-drama produced by Temple Street Productions follows the highs and lows of an elite group of dancers as they balance the pressures of competition with the trials of growing up. Following the season premiere, new episodes of The Next Step will air every weekday (Monday – Friday) at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT leading up to the mid-season finale in April.

Season Three of The Next Step premieres on March 16 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on Family Channel.

“From the series’ consistent ratings to the sold-out national Live on Stage tour, we are thrilled by the overwhelming demand from our audience to produce anything and everything for The Next Step,” said Michael Goldsmith, Director, Original Programming, DHX Television. “By delivering brand new episodes daily through linear broadcast, next-day SVOD availability and online streaming, we can offer the best possible viewing experience to our fans. And, with so many viewing options available, our viewers won’t have to worry about missing any of the spectacular dances and storylines.”

Season two left off on a cliffhanger with the future of The Next Step – and the A-Troupe’s chance to compete at Internationals – hanging in the balance. After receiving an eviction notice, rival dance academy, Elite, came to the studio with an interesting offer: merge the two studios to create a hybrid team for the International competition. Season three kicks off with the A-Troupe dancers grappling with a tough decision. Can they learn to work with their arch-rivals, or will they risk forfeiting their spot at Internationals?

In advance of the season premiere, fans can relive the A-Troupe’s Nationals win – and get a refresher on the dancers’ most recent dilemmas – with a never-before-seen extended episode of the season two finale on Friday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT. Immediately following the emotional episode viewers will want to stay tuned for a special sneak peek of what’s to come in season three. Beginning March 6, the series will be available in its entirety, for a limited time, on Family OnDemand, which will also offer new episodes as they become available daily starting March 17. Select episodes are available for viewing on Family.ca.

 

A new season of Next Step also means the return of The Next Step Aftershow, an innovative web series featuring behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with the cast, commentary on the show and much more. Available exclusively at TheNextStep.Family.ca, new episodes will be uploaded after each premiere. The comprehensive supersite also offers the latest information about new and returning characters, original music from the series and fun games like the “Make A Scene” creator and the “Dance Mashup” maker. Fans hoping to add some dance style to their wardrobe can check out Family’s brand new retail destination kt8merch.com/family to get their hands on exclusive merchandise from The Next Step Live on Stage tour, along with other network-inspired products.

Fans can also learn dance moves with their favourite The Next Step stars now that The Dance Academy App has launched with 10 exciting dance routines from five of the dancers. Each lesson is choreographed to music from the show and is broken down into easy-to-learn tutorials, followed by a full routine review and an exciting dance-a-long.

The Next Step stars 2015 Canadian Screen Award nominee Brittany Raymond as Riley; Victoria Baldesarra as Michelle; Alexandra Beaton as Emily; Trevor Tordjman as James; Isaac Lupien as Eldon; Lamar Johnson as West; Jennifer Pappas as Chloe; Logan Fabbro as Amanda; Taveeta Szymanowicz as Thalia; Samantha Grecchi as Stephanie; Brennan Clost as Daniel; Zac Vran as Hunter; Bree Wasylenko as Kate; Natalie Krill as Phoebe and So You Think You Can Dance Canada season four winner Jordan Clark as Giselle.

Additionally, several returning cast members will be brought to centre stage with exciting new storylines including Myles Erlick as J-Troupe dancer Noah, along with Devon Michael Brown as Max and Cierra Healey as Cierra, members of Elite Dance Academy. The cast also welcomes newcomer Ella Gilling, a semi-finalist on season two of the United Kingdom’s live-talent television show Got To Dance, in a recurring role.

A recipient of the 2013 Shaw Rocket Prize and the 2013 Digi Award for The Next Step Interactive, The Next Step was recently nominated for three 2015 Canadian Screen Awards. Nominations include: Best Children’s or Youth Fiction Program or Series; Best Writing in a Children’s of Youth Program or Series; and Best Performance in a Children’s or Youth Program or Series for Brittany Raymond.

Commissioned by Family Channel, The Next Step is produced by Temple Street Productions and is executive produced by Frank van Keeken (Wingin’ It, Kids in the Hall, Billable Hours), Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier (Orphan Black, Being Erica, Wingin’ It). BBC Worldwide has acquired international distribution rights. The Next Step is also produced with the financial assistance from The Shaw Rocket Fund and the Canada Media Fund.

Journey Sets 2015 Canadian Tour

JOURNEY has set an extensive Canadian tour starting Monday, July 6, 2015 in Winnipeg, Manitoba with concerts scheduled through August 2nd in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. This marks the first time the American rock greats will perform a Canada-only tour, including markets in which band has never previously performed such as Penticton; Prince George; and Dawson Creek, British Columbia; and Lethbridge, Alberta. See below for a complete list of tour dates.

Tickets go on sale for the Penticton and Prince George concerts Friday, February 6; all other Canadian shows will go on sale Friday, February 27. A special presale through www.journeymusic.com starts Tuesday, February 3 at 10 a.m.

VIP Packages will be available through VIP Nation including premium seats, exclusive merchandise and more, starting Tuesday, February 3. For more information, please visit www.VIPNation.com.

Blazing hotter than ever with the lineup of founder Neal Schon (lead guitar and backing vocals), Jonathan Cain (keyboards and backing vocals), co-founder Ross Valory (bass and backing vocals), Deen Castronovo (drums, percussion and backing vocals) and Arnel Pineda (lead vocals), Journey has created some of the best-known songs in music, such as “Wheel In The Sky,” “Separate Ways,” and “Faithfully.”

The group’s seminal anthem – “Don’t Stop Believin’” – is one of the top-selling catalog tracks in digital history, after being featured in the last scene of the electrifying series finale of HBO’s ‘The Sopranos’  and then reaching another level of stratospheric success when it was covered by the cast of FOX’s wildly successful series ‘Glee.’  Three decades after its original release, “Don’t Stop Believin'”has reached a new class of young fans and multiple generations are welcoming this legendary band, as it continues to bring its signature sound of classic hits and new favorites around the world.

Over the years Journey has earned multiple accolades, including 19 Top 40 singles; producing 25 Gold and Platinum albums; and receiving a Diamond certification for its Greatest Hits album, marking U.S. sales in excess of 15 million. In 2011, they drew nearly a million fans to their Eclipse World Tour and was awarded the prestigious “Legend Of Live Award” at the Billboard Touring Awards in honor of their significant and lasting contributions to live music and the touring business, and in acknowledgement of their commitment to the fans and the art of performing live.

JOURNEY’S 2015 CANADIAN TOUR DATES:

 
6-July             Winnipeg, MB              MTS Centre
10-July            Penticton, BC             South Okanagan Events Centre
11-July            Vancouver, BC             Rogers Arena
13-July            Victoria, BC              Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre
15-July            Prince George, BC     CN Centre
16-July            Dawson Creek, BC     EnCana Events Centre
18-July            Edmonton, AB           Rexall Place
19-July            Lethbridge, AB           ENMAX Centre
21-Jul             Regina, SK                Brandt Centre
22-Jul             Saskatoon, SK             SaskTel Centre
25-Jul            Hamilton, ON          FirstOntario Centre
26-Jul            Kingston, ON          Rogers K-Rock Centre
28-Jul             Montréal, QC             Centre Bell
30-Jul             Moncton, NB              Moncton Coliseum
31-Jul             Dartmouth, NS          Alderney Landing
2-Aug              St. John’s, NL            Mile One Centre

 

Big Sugar’s Mr. Chill Made The Most Accurate Prediction for The Super Bowl

Last month, while doing PR for Big Sugar, I pitched a few sports directors and writers to cover the band due to the fact harmonica/sax/melodica player Mr. Chill is a big sports fan, making a few appearances on Off The Record and in print with his views on all sports-related happening.

One angle we chose was for him to give his prediction last week for the Super Bowl. This is what was sent out:

Patriots 24, Seahawks 21. Seattle’s great defense will keep the Patriots below their outstanding offensive points explosion of recent weeks, that includes the playoffs (45 last week against the Colts, 35 points against the Ravens before that). However, Seattle’s offense looks to be struggling lately, especially their offensive line in protecting Russell Wilson. Seattle led a charmed life last week against Green Bay to pull out that win. The fake field goal for a touchdown, the ‘Hail Mary’ two-point conversion. Plus the Pack left some points out there, playing it safe kicking at least several field goals, when going for it on fourth down in the red zone seemed like an option at least on one occasion. I just don’t believe Seattle can pull the rabbit out of the hat two weeks in a row. Their hope lies in Russell Wilson being able to wreak havoc with his legs, but if New England keeps him in the pocket, as Green Bay did for the most part last week, the Patriots should get it done.

Damn if he wasn’t spot on.

LIMBLIFTER announce 4th LP PACIFIC MILK out April 7 + Tour Dates

Beloved Vancouver-based Limblifter have announced details for the upcoming release of Pacific Milk. Produced by Ryan Dahle at recRoom and Greenhouse Studios in East Vancouver, the band’s 4th studio LP features 13 freshly minted tracks and will be released via re-recordings/We Are Busy Bodies on April 7, 2015. Fans can get a sneak peak of the LP by way of the infectious first single ”Dopamine” here. See below for a list of just-announced Canadian tour dates.

Originally formed by talented brothers Ryan Dahle and Kurt Dahle as a side project from their main band, Age of Electric, Limblifter has managed to circumvent the pigeonhole prone music industry to prevail uncategorized with a hard-core fan base intact. With Dahle’s driving guitar lines, distinctive vocals, and poignant, sometimes uncomfortably honest, lyrics as the anchor, the continual re-invention and revolving door of some of Canada’s best musicians have kept Dahle’s vision evolving. The current line-up features Ryan (vox/guitar), Megan Bradfield, (bass), Brent Follett (drums), and Greg MacDonald (Keys).

Limblifter has provided a springboard and served as a template and inspiration to countless rock and pop bands. Current and ex-members of the band’s camp have been or are members of (in-alphabetical order): Age of Electric, Alarmbell, Attics and Cellars, The Black Halos, Black Mountain, Brundlefly, Blood Meridian, By a Thread, Change of Heart, C’mon, Fancey, A.C. Newman, The Salteens, Spanking Betty, Sparrow, The Spitfires, Matthew Good, Mounties, The New Pornographers, Small Sins and Sloan.

You can pre-order the CD here and the LP here.

Limblifter has amassed some impressive accolades since their inception, including JUNO nods for Alternative Album of the Year, Breakthrough Group of the Year, five top-charting Canadian radio hits including “Screwed It Up”, “Ariel vs. Lotus”, “Wake Up to the Sun”, 20+ videos, and 3 independent full-length albums. Dahle has also been a recurring collaborative force behind countless Can-music forays from songwriting with k-os and producing his BLack on BLonde double LP, to producing and songwriting with Dustin Bentall and Hot Hot Heat. More recently, Dahle’s music, songwriting, and personality are showcased as part of the chart-topping supergroup project Mounties, alongside Hawksley Workman and Steve Bays of Hot Hot Heat.

UPCOMING CANADIAN TOUR DATES
03.19.15 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore
03.20.15 – Calgary, AB @ The Gateway
03.21.15 – Edmonton, AB @ Pawn Shop
03.26.15 – Hamilton, ON @ This Ain’t Hollywood
03.27.15 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
03.28.15 – London @ Rum Runners

Ringo Starr Announces March 31 Album Release; ‘POSTCARDS FROM PARADISE’

Universal Music Enterprises proudly announces Ringo Starr’s 18th studio release, POSTCARDS FROM PARADISE. With 11 original tracks, the solo album is due out March 31, 2015 and is the first to include a song written and recorded by Ringo Starr and his current All Starr Band – Steve Lukather, Todd Rundgren, Gregg Rolie, Richard Page, Wally Palmer and Gregg Bissonette. POSTCARDS FROM PARADISE was produced by Ringo and recorded at his home studio in Los Angeles and, as always, features friends and family. As Ringo often says, “If I am recording and you’re in town and drop by, you’re going to be on the record!” The album’s guest artists include: Joe Walsh, Benmont Tench, Dave Stewart, Ann Marie Simpson, Richard Marx, Amy Keys, Peter Frampton, Nathan East, and Glen Ballard (among others, complete details and track by track to follow in coming weeks).

Here is the POSTCARDS FROM PARADISE track list:
1. Rory And The Hurricanes
2. You Bring The Party Down
3. Bridges
4. Postcards From Paradise
5. Right Side Of The Road
6. Not Looking Back
7. Bamboula
8. Island In The Sun
9. Touch And Go
10. Confirmation
11. Let Love Lead

POSTCARDS FROM PARADISE will be released just after Ringo returns from the road with the All Starrs, who go back out on the road on February 13th with dates in the U.S. and Latin America (see link to tour press release below).

On April 18, 2015 Ringo will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, where he will receive the Award for Musical Excellence.

Records Collecting Dust doc is showing now throughout America

Records Collecting Dust is a documentary film about the music and records that changed our lives. Written and directed by San Diego based musician and filmmaker Jason Blackmore, Records Collecting Dust documents the vinyl record collections, origins, and holy grails of alternative music icons Jello Biafra, Chuck Dukowski, Keith Morris, John Reis, and over thirty other underground music comrades.

Records Collecting Dust is set for theater release in January 2015.

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi gets it right on paying attention

We’re only here for a short while. And I think it’s such a lucky accident, having been born, that we’re almost obliged to pay attention. In some ways, this is getting far afield. I mean, we are – as far as we know – the only part of the universe that’s self-conscious. We could even be the universe’s form of consciousness. We might have come along so that the universe could look at itself. I don’t know that, but we’re made of the same stuff that stars are made of, or that floats around in space. But we’re combined in such a way that we can describe what it’s like to be alive, to be witnesses. Most of our experience is that of being a witness. We see and hear and smell other things. I think being alive is responding.

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in Creativity: The Psychology of Discovery and Invention

The Lick reigns supreme. None can escape its influence.

The Lick reigns supreme. None can escape its influence.

Weather Map Displays 1000+ and 2000+ Degree Temperatures

Weather Man Cory McCloskey makes light of situation of the computer glitch displaying 1000+, 2000+ degrees on the weather map from Fox10 Phoenix on January 27th, 2014. He handles the live segment like a pro.

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That Eric Alper
6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week, a 16-time JUNO Award winner overseeing PR campaigns, and have also been truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

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